


Wanted

by galaxyofminds



Category: Blindspot (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Sadness, the major character death was pre fic I'm sorry y'all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 12:30:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16853992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galaxyofminds/pseuds/galaxyofminds
Summary: When Tasha and Patterson are forced to go on the run after so long apart, will their feelings get the better of them? who knows just read the fic.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Me, starting another fic despite having two ongoing/unfinished fics? very likely. I am only just getting started on this and it was originally going to be for NaNoWriMo, but that didn't go quite to plan.

Tasha looked at the beautiful blonde woman sat across from her with a hint of sadness etched into her expression. Three days. That was how long she had left with Patterson before the blonde returned home to California. It would be a long time before they saw each other again. The whole country between them... but they each had their own lives. Tasha would have to return to reality sooner or later.

Patterson was in the middle of creating WizardVille II, and Tasha... well Tasha had a lot of people relying on her in the CIA. After Keaton retired from his position to spend more time with his family, he had passed on the flame to Tasha, who was now the deputy director of the CIA. She hadn't known it at the time, but Keaton had spent the two years before his retirement building up Tasha's reputation, so by the time it came for him to leave, he knew he would be leaving them in the hands of someone who could be trusted; who was well respected.

“What's wrong with your face?” Patterson flung a noodle in Tasha's direction who grimaced when it landed on her cheek. Patterson's cheeky grin made up for it though.

“Do you have to go... again?” It was a dumb question. Of course she had to go. Her team in California had already called her three times that evening, they could barely cope without her.

“You know I do.” Patterson frowned, leaning forward to nudge Tasha on the arm. “I'll be back before you now it.” _Yeah... right._

Tasha sighed, “I hate this. You living so far away. I miss my best friend.”

“I'll be sure to let Reade know.” Patterson winked at her, and Tasha pulled a throw cushion out from behind her and threw it at her face. Patterson caught it before it knocked her food to the floor. Her smile fell, “I hate this too,” she sighed. “Next time you're flying to me. Deal?” She shoved her hand towards Tasha who latched onto it, shaking it slightly as she let her fingers trace over her palm.

“Deal.”

Smiling down at their enjoined hands, Patterson discarded her empty food cartons on the table and put an arm out to Tasha who immediately sat close to her, wrapping an arm around Patterson's waist, her head resting in the crook of the other woman's neck. Patterson soothingly trailed her fingertips up and down Tasha's back.

They sat like that for a while, both staring at the television which was playing some romantic comedy Tasha insisted she hated; Patterson knew it was one of her favourite's. Neither of them could seem to concentrate on what was happening. All Tasha could think about was having to go back to being without her best friend. She loved her so much... she was in love with her. And every time they said goodbye, a little bit of Tasha worried that she would never see the other woman again.

“You're thinking too hard.” Patterson said quietly against her hair.

“Says the woman who does math in her head... for fun.”

Patterson frowned; that was one of Tasha's traits. She would make jokes to cover up her pain but Patterson could hear it in her voice. She had witnessed it so many times before. The entire evening of Reade's wedding to Megan, Tasha had a pained smile on her lips and unshed tears in her eyes; Patterson had spent the night watching her with the same expression.

Pulling away, Patterson peered down at Tasha, who was refusing to meet her eye. Gingerly, Patterson cupped Tasha's chin, and the other woman finally looked up at her with glistening eyes. “talk to me.” She stroked her thumb across her Tasha's jaw and the other woman closed her eyes, breathing deeply.

She didn't want to tell her. She _couldn't_ tell her. It would ruin everything. Patterson would get on her plane in three days time and Tasha would never hear from her again. “It's nothing.” She pulled away from Patterson who sighed, resigning herself to the fact there was a part of Tasha she was never going to know.

Patterson had noticed that Tasha would get upset at the smallest things sometimes and would completely shut herself off. Patterson would hug her too long and Tasha would pull back with a watery expression and no explanation.

They settled back into the sofa, watching the television with a not quite awkward but not completely comfortable silence between them. Tasha had moved away from Patterson slightly which hurt. She might as well have been back in California right then.

The sudden ringing of Tasha's landline made both women jump, before they looked at each other and burst out laughing, the awkwardness draining away. Tasha hopped off the couch and went to answer the phone, “Tasha Zapata.” Listening, Tasha's face fell into a frown. “Hello?” There was no noise coming from the other end. “Is anyone-”

Tasha stopped when she head the sharp intake of a breath. Her heart beat fast in her chest. Making eye contact with Patterson, she waited. A loud scream erupted from the speaker, and Tasha almost dropped the phone, “Get out of there!” A voice said finally, “Get-”

Then she was gone. The voice on the other end of the phone had belonged to a young woman, but all she could hear now was the dial tone. The woman had been cut off. Slowly, Tasha's hand dropped, and she placed the receiver back on its hook. Patterson half stood up, not making her way over to the other woman, just watching her. “What happened?” She said when she realised Tasha wasn't going to speak.

“I... don't know.” She frowned down at the phone before looking around her apartment, suddenly feeling paranoid. She went over to the window, parting the blind to look out onto the dimly lit New York street below. She thought she saw someone standing in the shadows, but then she blinked and they were gone. She must have been imagining it.

Once Tasha's heart-rate had calmed enough, she explained what she had heard to an equally confused Patterson. “We should tell...” _the team._ The words fell as quickly as they came. There wasn't a team to tell. It was easy to forget that two years had passed when she was standing in Tasha's apartment in her home city. It pained her to think about how everything had ended with them.

After the 'Blake fiasco' as Patterson referred to it, Tasha wasn't entirely welcomed back into the team with open arms. Patterson could still remember the day she had found out Tasha was 'dead.' Her heart had broke. She thought about all the things she hadn't said; all the things she would never get to say. She screamed; she cried; she threw things. Except days later she found out it was all a part of Tasha's plan. She had _wanted_ them to think she was dead.

Tasha had tried to tell her since that she didn't have a choice, but deep down, Patterson knew Tasha made the final decision. It wouldn't have been difficult for her to pick up the phone and let Patterson know she was still alive.

It had been over two years since then, and Patterson was still unsure why Tasha hadn't told her, but that was in the past now. They had long since buried the hatchet between them. If anything, the distance between them made their friendship stronger. Of course before, they had made the time to see each other, but now they had to travel across the country just to be in the same room as each other. It warmed Tasha's heart that Patterson cared about her enough to make that effort.

“What do you want to do?” Patterson asked finally, placing a hand on Tasha's jittery knee. They were sat at the 'kitchen table' which was really just a coffee table with two mismatched chairs placed up to it, nursing rapidly warming beers.

Tasha shook her head, “I don't know.” And that was the truth. She didn't know what to do. “Could you call Rich and ask him to track the number?”

Patterson looked away from her, picking at the corner of the label on her beer bottle. “We don't really... It's been a while since I last spoke to him actually.” Genuinely shocked, Tasha looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Honestly, you're the only one I have kept in contact with.”

Tasha frowned, “Why?”

Patterson looked up at her, confused at the question. “Why what?”

“Why me?” A brief flicker of hurt flashed across Patterson's face and Tasha realised how bad that had sounded. “No, I mean... Why do you still talk to me if you don't talk to anyone else?”

Patterson reached across the table between them, resting her hand atop Tasha's gripping her beer bottle. “You're my best friend.”

 _Friend._ That word shot through Tasha's chest. She didn't want to be her _friend_. She wanted more. She wanted something that could never happen for risk of losing their friendship. She didn't care if she had to watch Patterson eventually get in a relationship with a man, or get married to someone else if it meant that she was still in her life... albeit 3000 miles away.

Nodding with a sad smile on her lips, Tasha pulled away from Patterson, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear for something to do with her hands. “I'm really glad you're here.” She couldn't look her in the eye.

Letting her hand fall down on the table, Patterson sighed, “me too. So the phone call?”

“It was probably just a prank call,” Tasha frowned, not really believing her own words. “I don't see what we can do about it.” She shrugged, glancing over at the landline.

Patterson didn't look convinced; she was worried about her. She was supposed to be leaving in three days, but now she wasn't sure she wanted to. “If it happens again, you have to report it."

“I don't see-”

“That sounded like a threat, Tasha. Even if it was a prank, she told you to _get out_ of here.” Her voice grew louder with worry, “I don't think this is just something you should ignore.”

“Okay fine, _if_ it happens again, then I will report it... does that make you feel better?” She cocked an eyebrow at Patterson who laughed.

“Yes! Much better.”

Tasha smiled widely at her, the phone call forgotten as she got lost in Patterson's ocean eyes. Her smile faded as the seconds dragged on. “Uh,” Patterson chuckled awkwardly as she broke eye contact, looking around Tasha's small kitchen. Her gaze fell on the television, the movie they had been watching coming to an end, the credits now rolling across the screen. “Do you... wanna watch another movie?”

Tasha blinked away her tears. “Sure.”

Patterson chuckled to herself two hours later as the credits of another movie started, when she looked across at Tasha who had her head laid back against the couch, sleeping lightly. “Hey, sleeping beauty.” Tasha blinked when Patterson nudged her with her foot.

“Wha-” Her face fell as she looked at the television, realising that the movie had ended. “Oh, I missed... most of it.” Patterson laughed at the pout on her lips.

“I think it's probably time to sleep.” She looked across at the digital clock which read 12:38am. Tasha's eyebrows rose as she also realised the time.

“I think I'm gonna... hit the sack,” she chuckled awkwardly as she stretched her arms out. Patterson tried hard to ignore the sliver of skin that showed when her top rose. “Will you be okay sorting yourself out?” She looked over at the sheets draped over the back of the couch that Patterson had been using the 4 days she had been in New York.

“Yeah,” Patterson followed her gaze, before looking back at Tasha, “of course!” She pasted a bright smile on her face. Tasha started towards her bedroom door, “Hey,” Patterson called out, not wanting the day to be over just yet, but knowing that Tasha needed her space. The other woman looked back at her over her shoulder. “Thanks again for letting me stay.”

Tasha's expression softened, “I wouldn't let you stay anywhere else even if you wanted to.” She smirked with a wink before disappearing into her bedroom. “Goodnight!” Tasha called through the door, as she leant against it resting her head back; her eyes falling shut.

Patterson smiled at Tasha's door, “goodnight.” She whispered back.

 

After hours of trying to get to sleep, Patterson awoke on Tasha's couch to the sound of creaking outside the apartment door. She sat upright slowly, listening intently. The light flooding through the crack under the door was partly blocked and when Patterson noticed this she jumped up off the couch, heading straight for Tasha's bedroom.

She didn't even bother to knock, going straight in. The sight of Tasha spread across the bed, snoring lightly; hair messed, would have been completely adorable if it wasn't for her racing heart. “Tasha,” She hissed, getting no response. She crept over to the bed, looking back towards the front door which was still in her view. Shaking her shoulder lightly, Patterson whispered, “Tash, wake up.”

“The honey is in the fridge,” Tasha mumbled as she opened her eyes, suddenly focusing on the woman standing over her with fear in her eyes. “P?”

“There's- You keep honey in the fridge?” Patterson frowned, suddenly shaking her head. “Not important.” She looked over towards the door again, the shadow still there. “There is someone outside your door."

Tasha sat up, pulling the sheet up around her. It was only then that Patterson realised the other woman was wearing very little clothing. The shirt she had on being the _only_ thing she had on. Averting her eyes, Patterson grabbed Tasha's gun off her nightstand and made her way back out her room, so Tasha could quickly pull some trousers on, whilst hiding the blush that had spread across her face.

Both women jumped at the sound of a loud _thud_ on the other side of the door. They shared a look as Patterson positioned the gun properly, before turning the lock and yanking the door open. A woman fell inside the apartment, stumbling into Patterson who jumped back in front of Tasha protectively. “Who are you?” Patterson levelled the gun at her.

“Run. He's coming.” The woman croaked and Tasha froze. It was the same voice she had heard just hours before. Tasha opened her mouth to demand answers, but just as she did so, the young woman collapsed, choking.

Patterson looked back at Tasha with wide eyes, as the young woman's body stilled. She crouched down, the adrenaline coursing though her body making her hands shake as she pressed two firm fingers against her neck, looking for a pulse. She wasn't surprised when she found none. “Oh God.” Tasha gasped from behind her. “Is she...?”

Nodding, Patterson stood taking a step back from the body. “Tasha what did she mean by 'he's coming?'”

Tasha's gaze was locked on the other woman's face. She had dark bruises around her eyes and her hair was matted with blood. Slowly, she shook her head. “I don't... I don't know.” She could feel it getting harder and harder to breath as she stared into the glazed eyes of the dead woman.

Patterson was suddenly standing directly in front of her, blocking her view. “Hey,” she gripped onto Tasha's forearms, and shook her gently until Tasha looked her in the eye. “I am going to call Weller at the FBI okay, maybe _he_ can tell us what the hell is going on.” Patterson gave the brunette a reassuring smile, before pulling her into a bone crushing hug which Tasha returned with the same ferocity.

“Tash, you're gonna need to let go of me,” Patterson chuckled after a few failed attempts at pulling away from the other woman.

“Right,” Tasha's arms dropped instantly, and strangely Patterson missed her touch the second it was gone. “Call Weller. Yes. You should do that.”

With a small frown of concern for the other woman, Patterson walked Tasha over to the couch, pressing down on her shoulders until she was sat, and then went off to find her phone.

Tasha could hear Patterson talking quietly into her phone as she looked dazedly around the room. She had been pulled from her sleep to a woman falling dead at her feet. She wasn't entirely sure that she was actually awake. Had that actually happened or had she been imagining it? Looking over her shoulder, Tasha's breath hitched. The young woman was still there, looking at her. She squeezed her eyes shut.  _Not a dream. Not a dream. Not-_

Jolting from the sudden touch on her knee, Tasha looked at Patterson who was crouched down in front of her so she could be at eye level with her. “Kurt is on his was with his team.” She stroked a thumb across Tasha's knee, making sure she was calm.

“How did she die?”

Patterson looked over Tasha's shoulder at the woman who was still lying in the open doorway. Weller had told her it was best if she left the body where it was as to not disrupt the crime scene. She had tried to argue with him tat this _wasn't_ the crime scene, but he was very insistent. “She was stabbed by the look of it but I can't be completely sure. When we get the body to the morgue, I am going to ask if I can do the autopsy-”

Tasha's hand reached out, and wrapped around Patterson's wrist in a tight grip, but not tight enough to hurt, just enough to make sure she didn't move. “Don't leave me.”

Patterson had only ever seen Tasha look this scared one other time in her life. That time being when Reade had been in the explosion caused by Shepherd, and they didn't know if he would wake up. Tasha had that same expression of fear etched into her features right then. “Okay.” She brushed the knuckle of her free hand across Tasha's cheekbone. “Okay. I'm right here.” She pulled herself up onto the couch next to Tasha, and wrapped her arms around the other woman.

That was how Weller found them almost fifteen minutes later. Despite the situation, Patterson's face broke out into a wide grin. She didn't try and move from Tasha's side however. Kurt didn't return the smile with the same enthusiasm, but they were a welcomed sight. He had crossed paths with Tasha a few times since her promotion, but less so now that the tattoo cases were all solved. It had been years since he had seen Patterson though. She had always been like a little sister to him, and he was glad to see that she was doing okay. More than what he could say for Tasha right then anyway.

Two agents followed Weller into the room, who stepped over the body blocking the entrance to make his way over to the two women. Patterson squeezed Tasha's hand, who loosened her grip so Patterson could stand. He engulfed her in a hug, and when he finally set her down, she looked up at him with sad eyes. “How are you doing?” The memory of Jane's funeral was engraved in her mind.

“Better than you apparently,” He frowned over at the body and back down at Tasha who hadn't moved. Patterson recognized that move as him not wanting to talk about it, so she let it go. “Zapata? You good?”

Her eyes seemed to become clear when she looked up at him then. “Weller,” she looked surprised, as if she hadn't realised he had entered the room. “Oh my God Kurt,” she jumped off the couch, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “I'm so sorry about Jane.” She pulled back to look at him with sincere eyes. Patterson was surprised at the sudden change in her but she was glad; it scared her seeing Tasha like that. _She_ was usually the stronger one of the two of them.

“How are you doing?” He asked, brushing off her statement. Tasha knew he was a little mad at her. She had been undercover at the time of Jane's... Remi's death, only finding out what had happened a few weeks later, which also happened to be after the funeral. She hated herself for it. He was one of her closest friends, she should have been there for him. But, as usual she had put her job first.

Tasha looked around her, whilst Patterson watched her every move, looking for any sign that she was about to go catatonic again. So far so good. “What the hell is going on Kurt?”

“Patterson told me everything, and we are looking into the phone call. I'll have my team run the deceased's face through facial recognition, and let you know if we get a match, but for now it's probably best if we put you in a safe house.”

Tasha rolled her eyes, “is that really necessary?”

“Tash,” Patterson sighed, and instantly the brunette relented; hating the thought of upsetting the blonde even a tiny bit.

“Okay, fine.” She smiled up at Weller, “thank you.”

It was that moment that Tasha's phone started to buzz in her pocket. Pulling it out, the caller ID read 'Nas Kamal,' and she frowned. It had been almost six months since the two had last worked on a case together. “Tasha Zapata.”

“Agent Zapata. It's Nas.”

Tasha stopped herself from laughing, like that wasn't obvious. “I know. Is everything okay?”

“I'm afraid it is not. Meet me at our reconnaissance point in half an hour.”

Tasha pulled her phone back looking at the time. It was gone 4am, what could she possibly need to meet about at this late hour. “I'll be there”

“Oh, and... pack a bag.” Nas hung up.

Patterson was by her side the second she put the phone down, taking in Tasha's perplexed expression. “Who was that, are you okay?”

“That was Nas. She want's to meet.”

Weller looked over at the woman on the floor, who had a plastic sheet over her body now much to Tasha's relief. “Do you think it has something to do with this?”

“I don't see what else it could be.”

“I'm coming with you.” Patterson said instantly.

Tasha frowned, “I'm not sure that is a good id-”

“I'm coming with you.” Patterson stated again, more firm this time. There was no arguing with the blonde. She was going with her.

This night was getting weirder and weirder.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for dobby98 ;)

Tasha rushed into her bedroom and yanked an empty duffel bag out from under her bed. Patterson and a very confused Weller followed her in. She didn't have time to be embarrassed about the mess. “Tasha what are you doing?” Patterson put a hand on her arm, halting her movements.

“Nas said pack a bag, so I am packing a bag.”

“What would you possibly need to pack a bag for?”

Tasha moved out from under Patterson's touch and made her way over to her wardrobe, pulling out as much as she could fit into the small bag. Weller looked away, slightly embarrassed when he spotted the underwear in her hand. “I don't know,” Tasha said finally, looking up at Patterson, “but she must have had a good reason.”

Frowning, Patterson nodded before leaving the room. Tasha was annoyed at herself for upsetting the other woman before she realised that Patterson was doing. Patterson came back into the bedroom with an armful of her own clothes, and dumped them on Tasha's bed. She looked at the brunette expectantly, before Tasha realised what she was after. “No, Patterson.”

Rolling her eyes, Patterson ducked down to look under Tasha's bed, mumbling, “ _yes_ Patterson.” She put all the important things she had brought with her inside the duffel and went to grab her passport from where she had left it on the kitchen counter.

“You said the dead woman told you to get out of here right? That someone was coming?” Weller spoke in a gruff voice from where he was hovering by the door, trying to work out what was going on.

“Yes.” Tasha didn't turn to look at him as she retrieved her own passport from where she kept it in the drawer in her bedside table.

“What if she was telling the truth... and Nas know's what is happening.”

Tasha stopped then, sliding her passport into the side pocket of her bag and turning to look at him. Nodding in agreement, Tasha grabbed her leather jacket off the chair in the corner of her room and slid it on over her pyjama shirt. “You're right. We should get going.”

Tasha and Patterson were in the basement of Tasha's apartment building within a few minutes. The blonde looked over at the other woman wearily when they approached a covered motorcycle. It was dusty because Tasha hadn't found use for it with her new job in a long time, but this seemed like a better option than taking the subway... especially if there was someone after her.

“Tasha... you can't be serious?” Patterson said as she took the helmet Tasha was offering her anyway. The smirk on the other woman's face said she was very serious. Patterson huffed as Tasha stuffed the sheet into the storage compartment along with their duffels and climbed onto it.

“You're not scared are you?” Tasha's voice came out muffled under her helmet and Patterson straightened, pulling on her own helmet.

“No. I'm not scared.” Her shaking hand's said otherwise but she climbed on anyway, clinging onto Tasha like her life depended on it. The brunette struggled to think about anything other that the fact Patterson's thighs were hugging her hips; in the same way that the only thing on Patterson's mind, as they rode through the New York City streets in the early hours of the morning, was how her strong Tasha's abdomen felt under her hands.

Nas was already there by the time Tasha pulled up. She looked around the dock. It looked exactly the same as it had done a year ago when she and Nas had been there on a case. Since then they had used it as a meet point.

Patterson hopped off the bike and pulled her helmet off, shaking out her hair; Tasha almost combusted at the sight... she looked like someone out of a movie. Quickly looking away, Tasha pulled off her own helmet walking up to meet her old friend who had a smirk on her face. Nas looked over her shoulder at Patterson who was out of earshot, struggling to balance her helmet on the motorcycle without it all toppling over.

Tasha rolled her eyes when Nas quirked an eyebrow at her, “shut up,” she grumbled with a slight smile on her face. Patterson walked over to them then, having given up and placing the helmet on the floor next to the bike.

“Agent Patterson how lovely to see you again. It's a shame it's under such circumstances.” She reached forward, shaking her hand briefly.

“Likewise.” She smiled, “what exactly are the circumstance's?” Patterson took her place next to Tasha, placing a hand on the small of her back. Tasha didn't miss the way Nas' lip twitched.

Nas crossed her arms across her chest, leaning her hip against the side of the SUV she must have arrived in. “My team uncovered some information at around 10pm last night.”

“Wait,” Tasha thought back, trying to remember the time she got the phone call. “Last night, someone called me.”

Nas nodded, “I know. It-”

“Nas, please just tell me what the hell is going on. What do you know?”

Nodding, Nas said, “A bounty on your head went live last night.” Tasha paled. “I've had my best people looking for _anything,_ but... Tasha, it came from inside the CIA.”

Closing her eyes, Tasha took a deep breath, steadying herself. “Do you know who is behind it?” Tasha could think of many people who would want her dead; when she was undercover she made enemies, yet she couldn't think of anyone in the CIA. She was very well respected.

“Not yet. But I promise you, we won't stop until we find them.”

Tasha nodded, “what do you need me to do?”

Nas looked between the two women in front of her before opening SUV door and pulling out a bag. “You need to get out of here. We have a safe house waiting for you out of the city.” Nas looked over Tasha's shoulder at the black car parked in the shadows. The headlight's came on, and Tasha's eye's widened.

Shaking her head Tasha looked back at Nas, “I can't just leave.”

“It's not safe for you to be here right now.”

“I want to help find-”

“Tasha,” Patterson placed her hand on Tasha's arm, getting her attention. “You know Nas is right. We have to go.”

Turning to face her fully, the brunette was already shaking her head. “No way. Absolutely not. There is no we in this. If I go, I go alone... you can't come with me this time,”

Patterson frowned, “There is someone trying to _kill you._ Do you think I am just going to let you go alone?”

Sighing, Tasha could feel herself relenting. “Just go home. _Please._ I'll be fine.”

“Tasha, I don't want to fight you on this.” She looked sideways at Nas briefly who was staring between the two of them in amusement. “It's my decision and I'm coming with you.” She looked Tasha directly in the eye, and for a moment, no one said anything.

Nas was the one who broke the silence. “I'll give you two a minute.” They both watched as she walked toward the awaiting car.

“I don't want to put you in danger Patterson.” She crossed her arms, the image of the blonde getting hurt... or worse, because of her flickering through her mind. “You should go stay with your parents until you go back to California in three days like you planned.”

Patterson huffed, stepping closer to Tasha. “But I don't _want_ to go back to California.” She lifted her hand, resting it on Tasha's cheek. “If you think I'm just going to let you go alone then you're an idiot.”

Tasha laughed through her oncoming tears, which Patterson brushed away with her thumb. The way Patterson was looking at her then made her want to break the distance between their lips. But if they were to spend the next... god know's how long in the car together, she probably shouldn't; Patterson probably wouldn't even get in the car with her if she did that.

“Okay.” She smiled finally, rolling her eyes halfheartedly. “Fine... but the second this gets dangerous I'm putting you on the plane myself.” Patterson's face brightened, and she gripped Tasha's face between both hands. For a second Tasha thought _Patterson_ was about to kiss _her,_ but she pulled her into a tight hug instead.

Nas cleared her throat and both women jumped away from each other. “Ready?” She looked at Tasha with a raised eyebrow.

“Let me just grab our stuff and we will be on the move.” She sighed, walking away towards her bike. She moved slowly, putting off the inevitable. The thought of going into hiding scared the hell out of her, but it was either that or getting killed, so the choice was easy really. As she was unlocking the storage compartment, Tasha looked over at Patterson and Nas who seemed to be deep in conversation. Both women looked over at her then, and when Patterson realised she was being watched she looked away instantly. Were they talking about her?

“Okay, now we are ready.” Tasha said once she had rejoined the two.

When Nas noticed Tasha look back at her bike with concern she said, “I've already organised for someone to take your motorcycle home for you.”

Tasha sighed in relief, “thank you.” She looked down at her fiddling hands, “and thank you for everything else.”

“Before you go,” Nas handed her the bag she had retrieved from her car a few minutes ago. “Take this.” Tasha raised her eyebrows and took a peek inside the bag. She almost choked on her own breath when she came face to face with more money in cash than she makes in a year.

“What is this for?”

Nas' voice grew grave, “Just in case.” Nodding in understanding, Tasha zipped the bag back up and they started towards the car in the shadows.

Once Nas had waved them off, the two women settled into the back of the black SUV on their way to the safe house. It was located 100 miles North West of NYC, so they should be there before dawn. There had two NSA agents escorting them, which didn't do much to calm Tasha's nerves, despite Nas' reassurance that they were two of the best agents she knew and that she would be very safe in their presence.

“What did Nas mean by 'just in case?'” Patterson said, breaking the silence after half an hour into the journey. Tasha chuckled at how accurate her mimicry of Nas' voice was.

Keeping an eye on the two in front, Tasha said in a hushed voice, “look... I did some very bad things when I was undercover and none of them I'm proud of.” She couldn't look at the other woman.

“Bad, like what?”

“I killed some people. Some very bad people, and now I have their blood on my hands.” Tasha looked down at her hands even though she was speaking metaphorically. Reaching between them, Patterson gripped one of Tasha's hands in her own. Tasha looked up at her in surprise. She expected the blonde to be looking at her in disgust or anger or regret that she had come along when it was all Tasha's fault in the first place... but all she saw was pity. “You're not surprised?”

Patterson chuckled, squeezing Tasha's hand once before letting go. “You never talk about your time undercover. I presumed you must have done something bad.” _Something bad._ Tasha looked away, and Patterson spoke again, “but you say they were terrible people. I don't doubt for a second that they didn't have it coming to them.”

“No one deserves to die.” Tasha whispered into the silence of the car, her mind once again flickering back to the woman on the floor in her home. A thought flickered through her head then. Would she ever find out who that woman was? Would she ever get _back_ home?

Patterson didn't say anything to that and Tasha knew she was right. She sighed, resting her head against the window. It was almost completely black outside the car, the road lit up ahead of them by the headlight's being the only source of light for miles.

The car was going round a bend in the road, when Tasha caught the glint of the moon shining off something behind them. That wasn't right. Tasha frowned, turning around in her seat to get a proper view; there was something behind them for sure. Once her eyes had adjusted, Tasha could see the outline of a car, that obviously didn't want to be seen. There was no other reason why they would have their headlights off.

“What's wrong?” Patterson said, following her gaze. Her eyes widened instantly seeing what Tasha was seeing. “We're being followed.” Patterson frowned, leaning forward to the driver, “how long has that car been behind us?” She said in a hushed voice, despite knowing that they wouldn't be heard.

“What car Ma'am?”

Rolling her eyes, Tasha scoffed; so much for the best agents Nas knew. “Can you speed up?”

The driver nodded. “Yes Ma'am.” The car sped up, and the lights in the car behind them came on. They must have known they had been spotted.

Tasha unstrapped her seat belt and reached down into her boot, pulling out her gun. Patterson looked at her, eyebrows raised. “When did you put that in there?” She laughed.

“As we were leaving,” smirking, she passed it over to Patterson then pulled a smaller gun out of her other boot for herself.

“Are you hiding any more on your... person?”

Tasha knelt on her seat, tumbling into Patterson as the car swerved around a bend. “I have another strapped to my back.”

Patterson unstrapped her seatbelt as well, hopping off her seat so she could peer out the window. “Hurry up they're gaining on us.” Patterson worried on her lip.

Tasha knew there was no way they would be able to outrun the people following them. “Pull a one eighty,” Tasha called over her shoulder. The woman in the drivers seat looked over her shoulder at the CIA deputy director as if she was crazy. “Pull a one eighty now!” Tasha screamed, the car behind them only a pace away.

“Hold on.” Tasha called to Patterson over the sound of the breaks as the car skidded to a halt, pulling a sharp turn onto the other side of the road. Patterson only just had time to grab onto the seat in front of her before the car spun and started in the opposite direction.

They probably would have made it away if their pursuer hadn't swerved into their side of the road. The NSA agent swerved again, but the car couldn't get a grip on the road, and it spun out of control. Tasha's world seemed to stop as the car flipped through the air in slow motion.

Everything grew dark.


	3. Chapter 3

Patterson came to with a loud ringing in her ears. For a moment she forgot where she was, but then it all came back to her. The car was upside down and her neck was stuck at an awkward angle. She could move her head though, that was a good sign. The front seat had been crushed back and her ankle was wedged between it and the roof of the car.

She craned her neck to get a good look at their NSA escorts, but it seemed that they had taken the brunt of the hit. They were both dead. Panic started to settle in Patterson's gut. She could feel her hand brushing something. When she looked over, she realised it was the back of Tasha's jacket. “Tasha?” She didn't get any kind of response from the other woman. “Tash!” She screamed, the reality of what just happened setting in. “Tasha wake up!” Tears sprung to her eyes, and the panic was overridden with fear. If she was dead...

If Tasha had died without ever knowing how Patterson had felt about her she would never be able to forgive herself. There would be no coming back from this one. A crunching sound outside the car drew her attention. A pair of black boots were slowly making their way over to their upturned car. “Oh god,” her breath quivered. “Oh god.”

Patterson wiggled her leg again, trying to get it out of the tight gap. She could only see one way out now. Smothering her arm across her face, to cover the sound of her screams of agony, Patterson pulled on her leg with her free hand as hard as she could. The sound of her ankle bone cracking was the only thing she could hear in that second. Her arm fell from her face as she screamed in pain. The boots were getting closer now.

Tears fell down her face fast, as she pulled her ankle away, letting her leg fall limp. She dragged herself the short distance over to Tasha and almost cried in relief when she felt a strong pulse under her fingers. She wasn't dead. _She wasn't dead_.

The relief gave her a boost of adrenaline then, as she Rolled Tasha onto her side and pulled her ruined jacket up her back. She hadn't been joking, there really was a gun strapped to her back. Patterson pulled it out the holster and waited for the man to stop. There was no point in her trying to play dead now because unless the person in the boots had miraculously gone deaf in the crash, he would have heard her screaming. A few painstakingly long seconds later, the boots stopped moving. Patterson double checked that the gun was loaded and as a face came into view, she lifted the weapon, squeezed her eyes shut and fired.

Patterson couldn't bring herself to open her eyes, but the thud of a body hitting the floor was telling enough. Taking a few deep breaths, she looked away from the direction of the body and focussed all her attention on Tasha instead. She could see a trail of blood trickling out a large gash on her forehead. It was only when she smelt the gas that Patterson realised she _could_ see. It was still completely black outside, and the light's would have been destroyed along with the engine. Her eyes widened as she coughed, the smoke trailing in from towards the back of the car telling her that _something_ was on fire.

They needed to get out of there. “Tash, sweetie, I need you to wake up now.” Patterson gently shook the other woman's shoulders, cradling Tasha's face in her hands. “Tasha, _please._ ”

Her eyelids fluttered, “what-” her voice broke and she raised a hand to her head, coming away with blood. A lot of it.

“It's okay, Patterson scooted into a sitting position, wincing at the pain that pierced through her leg. That didn't matter right now. All that mattered was getting away from the car that likely to explode any second now. The orange glow inside the car had grown bigger, and the some thicker. “Can you move, we need to get out of here.”

“I think so.”

Patterson looked around them then, reaching for the duffel full of money and grabbing the only other weapon she could see that had slid under the drivers seat. Whilst she was doing that, Tasha had managed to kick out the remaining glass of the window and was shuffling out. Her eyes widened at the sight of a man clad all in black with a hole through his eye, but just shoved his body out of her way. Crawling out of the window was difficult, but she succeeded pretty quickly.

Once Tasha was standing, she double checked for any other injuries, but she seemed to have gotten lucky. She couldn't say the same for the two in the front of the car. This was all her fault. If she hadn't had to go into protective custody, they never would have had to drive her and they never would have ended up dead. The same with the woman from her apartment, whoever she was. She had died trying to warn Tasha... she had died protecting her and Tasha had no idea who she was.

“You need a hand?” She brushed the tear away from her cheek when she noticed Patterson struggling to get out of the car. Patterson's eyes flickered to the flames licking up the side of the battered SUV. She reached up to Tasha and grunted in pain as the other woman dragged her from the wreckage.

“We need to move. Now.”

Tasha nodded, starting to move away, but Patterson stumbled. Tasha only just managed to catch her in time before her body collapsed to the floor. “Patterson!” She leaned back slightly, taking in the full extent of the damage done to the other woman. She looked at lot worse for wear than Tasha did that's for sure. “Here let me...” Reaching around behind Patterson, Tasha pulled the other woman against her side and dragged her limping body towards the sleek BMW on the other road. It seemed to be undamaged which was a good sign. Just as they were walking away, the SUV exploded. Tasha and Patterson were sent flying forward landing awkwardly on the floor.

For a second, neither of the two women moved; they simply lay on the warm, hard surface. Eventually, Patterson groaned and pushed herself up, Tasha following suit.

The of the BMW was a lot nicer inside than the big black car they had been in before, and it was more inconspicuous too. People looking for Tasha would be looking for a CIA transport vehicle or something similar, they wouldn't suspect a BMW. Of course, once the news of the crash was out, they would know exactly what they were looking for, which was why Tasha needed to get away from there now.

Tasha opened the passenger door for Patterson and helped her in before hobbling round to the drivers side. When she sat down she sunk into the soft leather, letting her eyes close for just a second. “Are you okay? That's a pretty deep cut-”

“I'm fine,” Tasha cut her off with an attempted smile. Patterson could see right through it.

“You don't have to pretend to be strong for me you know.” The blonde reached across, placing her hand on Tasha's shoulder. All she wanted to do right then was hold Tasha and tell her that everything was going to be alright. That she would keep her safe. But after what had happened tonight, she didn't want to make any promises she wouldn't be able to keep.

A tear slid down Tasha's cheek. “Patterson,” her voice was barely above a whisper. She turned to look at the other woman, her lapis eyes twinkling under the glow of the moonlight. Patterson's hand moved off her shoulder, her fingertips trailing up her neck. Tasha wanted to ask her right then why she insisted on doing that; why she made her feel so much love and pain when all she would get in the end was heartbreak.

Wasn't it obvious that Tasha was head over heels in love with her?

Tasha squeezed her eyes shut and turned to face forward, starting the engine. “We should get moving. There are probably more people on the way.”

“Will you be okay to drive? You were out cold less than five minutes ago.” Patterson let her hand fall between them, hurt that Tasha would brush her away like she had.

“I'll be okay.”

Patterson wasn't sure she believed the other woman. She had a sad look on her face all of a sudden and Patterson wondered if she had done something wrong. She wanted to confront her about it but now wasn't the time.

After a little while of driving, Patterson leant forward to turn on the radio. It was playing a CD... something Russian. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, the realisation that their pursuer was probably Russian hitting her. That meant that there were people coming from far and wide to make sure Tasha was dead. “Nas never said how much this bounty was for, did she?”

“No,” Tasha shook her head frowning, she had been thinking the same thing. If people were willing to travel thousands of miles for her, she could only presume it was an incredibly high price. “You should go home, Patterson.” Tasha said without looking round at the other woman.

Huffing, Patterson leant against the door, turning to look at Tasha fully; her seatbelt strained against her neck. “I'm not leaving you.” Patterson watched the way Tasha's frown deepened, her lip twitching slightly.

“You have people who need you.”

“ _You_ need me.” Patterson pulled her feet up under her knees, using the sleeve of her tattered jacket to wipe the excess blood off from around the cut on her ankle. She really should get that looked at sooner rather than later. Tasha glanced at her out the corner of her eye. She couldn't see much because it was so dark out, but she could tell that something was making Patterson nervous. She refused to look up at her, and she was trying to distract herself.

She couldn't bare the distance between them any longer, so Tasha reached between them, placing a gentle hand on Patterson's good ankle. “Okay,” she said finally.

“Okay?”

“Okay you can stay.”

Patterson didn't bother to hide the smirk on her face, and all Tasha wanted to do then was kiss it off her, but instead she faced forward into the night, putting all her focus into the driving; into getting Patterson somewhere safe now that they were in this together.


End file.
